Cake Mistake
by Ceciliavonjoy
Summary: Shadow the hedgehog is someone you want on your side in a fight. His awesome power is unmatched, and woe to those who cross him. What can overcome the Ultimate Lifeform and bring him to his knees? Desserts.


**Writing Prompt: "I think I'm dying." "Tell me you're being dramatic, please" with Shadow and Rouge**

Rouge shut the door behind her, and set down her shopping bags on the floor. Phew. She hovered there in front of the door, staring ahead at the small living room. She finally had time to stop and think for a moment. As fun as shopping for shoes was, it was nice to be home. Eggman had been quiet all week, and there hadn't been any other missions for Team Dark lately. It was about time they all got to relax.

Also, she'd left Shadow alone in the house. And he was capable, but...oh lord, what Shadow _didn't_ know about regular, everyday living stuff would fill a very large book. His wariness and great strength were good in a fight, but not so much when a register at the grocery store beeps and startles him. Thankfully she'd been able to stop him from attacking a probably expensive machine. The poor cashier had been terrified.

Speaking of, she'd left him lounging on the white couch out here in the living room. It was still there, with the other furniture, but not Shadow himself. Did he go to his room?

To Rouge's right was a wide hallway. Further down it was a bathroom and two bedrooms. In about the left middle of the hall, it opened into a small kitchen on the other side of the living room. The wall they shared shielded the kitchen from her view. Rouge picked up her shopping again, and headed down the hall. "Shadow?" She called, walking past the closed door of her plush purple bedroom.

The next room was his. It was depressingly grey and sparse in her eyes, but to Shadow, furniture only seemed to matter if it was functional. He didn't even use the kitchen table to eat on; it was "more efficient" to stand at the fridge and shove food in his mouth. She'd gotten him to accept a bed frame, so his mattress wouldn't sit on the floor. Rouge counted it as a victory that he actually used it.

She went to knock on his door when her name was groaned from the kitchen.

Rouge spun around. Shadow was on the floor curled up against the left counter, clutching his stomach.

His expression was screwed up in pain, and his ears lay back. "R- Rouge-"

Oh no. She dropped her bags and hurried in. "Shadow, hang in there-" Rouge dropped to her knees by his side, trying to be calm. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Pain…out of nowhere. I think I-" he took shallow breaths, "think I'm dying."

That did not help her blood pressure. "Oh god-" Staying calm, not working- "Please tell me you're just being dramatic-" Rouge glanced wildly around for any clue to what was hurting him.

And she stopped. She'd been too focused on Shadow to see what was around him. Scattered on the floor were what looked like the foil wrappers for the chocolates she'd thought she'd hidden. A store-bought coffee cake sat in front of the fridge in its plastic container, the lid askew and half of it reduced to crumbs. By his left shoe was the small tub of vanilla ice cream she'd bought yesterday, empty except a spoon.

Shadow groaned again.

"...You're not dying." Rouge was no longer alarmed. "You ate too much and upset your stomach."

A quick, shallow breath. Breathing too deeply pushed into his aching stomach. "It hurts too much to...to just be that."

"Ok, but-" Sheesh, what is she going to do with him? "Shadow, that was two weeks' worth of desserts." She felt like she were scolding a child. A powerful, grumpy, teenager-size child. "You ate too much _and_ it was all sugar. Both of those are bad for you."

"It's not my fault it all tasted so good…" Shadow spoke slowly, defensive but in pain. "It's meant to…to be eaten. Why would…ngh…" Another moan of pain. "Why do they sell food that makes people ill?"

"Cake doesn't make you sick if you just have a little! The point of a dessert is-" Rouge sighed, shaking her head. "Gah, I'll explain later. Let's get you off the kitchen floor to your bed, ok?"

He gave a small nod. Shadow, slowly, uncurled away from against the wall and staggered to his feet. He waved her away when she tried to help him stand. "Can make it...myself."

"You sure?" Rouge asked, calmer. Sure, it's his own fault, but the poor idiot's in pain. He was hunched over where he stood.

Shadow made a noise for 'yes, now leave me alone', and trudged out of the kitchen out to the hall.

Rouge followed behind him, and paused to pick up the shopping bags she'd left in the opening to the kitchen. "Feel better soon."

He just slightly nodded his head. Then Shadow went into his room, shutting the door behind him. Rouge passed by the closed doors of their rooms back into the living room.

She set her bags on the carpet, fell back onto the couch, and rested her feet on a matching ottoman. It's a good thing they're on break. They have enough time for the ultimate life form to get over his tummy ache.

Just have to be patient with him. Shadow will figure out this normal life stuff… eventually.


End file.
